Tatsuya, who was at this moment receiving such unjust treatment from the athletes in their rival schools without any knowledge (obviously) after finishing a late lunch proceeded to the girls' Battle Board course.
Planned for the afternoon were the fourth to sixth races.
Honoka would appear in the sixth. If he only needed to keep his appointment with her, there should be no need to come so early.
"Ah, Shiba-kun, what's the matter?"
At the sight of him accompanied by Miyuki and Shizuku, Azusa tilted her head. Her posture was so similar to a squirrel holding a nut that despite his melancholic mood, he couldn't help but twitch a smile.
At his careless chuckle he consciously tried to tighten his lips, but there wasn't enough tension. In resignation, he relaxed.
"......You were making fun of me just now weren't you?"
"Not at all. I was just impressed by Nakajou-senpai's diligence."
"......You really are making fun of me aren't you?"
Being glared at with those half-lidded eyes so much like a child sulking forced Tatsuya to look away to hold back his laughter.
"......It's fine, I don't care."
Azusa kept glaring at him for a while, then with a sigh, muttered to herself.
This was probably something she went through every day.
Somehow, her figure also exuded an air of melancholy.
Leaving her like that would make one feel terrible.
"—I really wasn't making fun of you."
"......Really?"
"Really."
"Really really?"
"Really."
Being looked at with suspicion — due to the height difference, straight up — by Azusa, Tatsuya showed a strong front.
Seeing that proud bearing, Azusa finally seemed to relent (was she fooled?) and smiled.
"Alright. Because I believe in Tatsuya-kun."
Saying so as she laughed at him, she drifted over to his side.
Tatsuya knew without even looking.
The image of Miyuki's eyebrows rising floated into his mind.
(Ooh boy......)
It seemed his sister would be in a pretty bad mood tonight as well, he sighed to himself — although he couldn't resent her for it, it did pain him a little inside.
—That aside.
"So, what's the matter? There's still two more hours before Mitsui-san's match."
"I felt rather uncomfortable outside, so I came here for some shelter."
As Azusa tilted her head again, next to Tatsuya, Miyuki laughed.
"......Onii-sama is too concerned."
At those questioning eyes, Miyuki's tone suggested 'it can't be helped'.
"They've become very motivated, so I'm sure the end result will be just fine."
On his other side, Shizuku reassured him.
"Ah, ahhh, is that what it is......"
Guessing the circumstances immediately, Azusa was pretty sharp too.
The monopoly of Shizuku and the others had been the subject of praise even throughout lunch.
Not just the executives, but the seniors who had the day off and had been watching that day went to compliment the three, yet the number of people who also went on to mention Tatsuya's achievements were not inconsiderable.
At that, the men's Speed Shooting team had begun burning with an extraordinary rivalry.
That in itself, as Shizuku said, was not undesirable.
If they become fired up and increase their desire for victory, as long as they aren’t idle, it works as a plus.
However, being stared at with eyes that seemed to burn with vengeance for their dead father, made you want to tell them to get a life.
Of course, to say such a thing out loud would lead to a fight. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, he had come to the competition venue as early as possible.
The location of the Nine Schools Tournament was the southeast area of the Fuji Armed Forces Training Grounds. While it's called an area, the Fuji training grounds were huge to begin with, and simply moving between venues would end up being a considerable hike. Without that much land, it would be impossible to prepare for areas such as the Battle Board course and the Monolith Code battlefield.
The Battle Board course was a winding flume circuit of approximately three kilometers.
With two sets for the two genders, as well as the spectator stands meant that quite a bit of land was needed just to make this course.
When considering moving around the venue, the Battle Board course had been constructed right at the edge of the area provided for the Nine Schools Tournament in order to avoid having to bypass that large course on the way to other venues, and it can safely be said that there were no competitors from other events around such as those participating in the concurrent men's Speed Shooting.
"I could also have gone back to the dorm, but I decided since I'll be coming here anyway I might as well see if there's anything I could help with."
"Really!?"
It wasn't just Azusa who raised a cry.
Perhaps overhearing from somewhere, Honoka suddenly came flying out from the competitor's area.
"Then please, by all means! Have a look at my CAD!"
Recently, under the influence of Tatsuya, Honoka had also began calling her device not 'Assistance' but 'CAD'. At Honoka's momentous leap Tatsuya had almost laughed out loud again. Tightening his face against the impulse, he scolded Honoka.
"Hey, come on Honoka. That way of speaking is kinda rude to Nakajou-senpai you know?"
Honoka's attitude, and her words just now, couldn't help but be taken as some level of dissatisfaction at Azusa's work.
"Eh, ah, I'm very sorry!"
Honoka lowered her head in a hurry.
"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it in that way."
Azusa shook her head with a dry smile.
Her tone was almost sisterly.
Resisting his urge to laugh this time was a difficult task.
The average time for a Battle Board round was about 15 minutes.
However, the loading and unloading of the boards as well as the inspection of the waterway, as well as the repair of areas damaged by magic meant more time was needed to prepare for each race.
Allowing for that, as well as extra time to give leeway, meant the competition schedule for Battle Board had been organized into blocks of one hour.
The final race would begin at 3:30 in the afternoon. Already, players were moving to the starting positions. The too long wait time was not good for tense nerves, and there were many instances of competitors ending up being unable to utilize their full strength (every year, such examples would occur for both genders in both the 'real' finals and the Newcomers division), but possibly because of the chatter Honoka had shared with Miyuki and Shizuku before the match, she seemed in great condition as she stood poised upon her board.
The sight of Honoka constantly sticking to Tatsuya had gradually stirred up Miyuki's mood, but instead of separating them she had gone along and entered into their chat, the result of which seemed to have been a positive diversion for Honoka.
The heavy swim shoes and thick wet suit that covered the wrists and ankles were meant to protect the competitor's body from the friction of impacts and falling. But the pressurized uniform stuck fast to the wearer, and sharply emphasized the curves of the body even more (?) than usual.
Over the thigh, in large letters, was the logo 'ICHIKO'. With her stimulating proportions unbefitting a 1st Year highlighted by her colorful wet suit, Honoka crouched with one knee upon the board awaiting the start.
The CAD over her forearm was thinner and wider than usual, increasing its area and allowing for larger buttons. As he had said earlier, Tatsuya did not tamper with Honoka's CAD.
After looking over the system, he found nothing which absolutely needed work.
Being asked for advice by both Honoka and Azusa, he had just one thing to offer.
The dark goggles that Honoka now wore had been brought by him.
To be sure, the midsummer sunshine was inclining in from the west to the extent that facing that way directly would be uncomfortably dazzling.
Due to water splashing on the glass and blocking their view, however, few competitors opted to use goggles or sunglasses.
Azusa had felt that narrowing the field of view would only be a disadvantage, but Honoka had taken the goggles without hesitation.
"......come to think of it, why has Mitsui-san prepared so many optical Activation Sequences?"
It's rare for an engineer to issue Activation Sequences.
With the exception of Tatsuya, who plans out the Activation Sequence lineup himself, normally engineers install Sequences based on the wish of the competitors.
Azusa had known too that Honoka was adept with illusionary magic of the light wave system from her profile, but due to the nature of the competition, Azusa had honestly believed there was no place for illusionary magic.
"The rules of Battle Board state that interfering with other players via magic is prohibited. However, interfering with the water and thus indirectly interfering with other players is not."
"......what does that mean?"
Despite being asked repeatedly by Azusa, Tatsuya had only returned an evil smile.
The signal for the start of the sixth qualifying race of the Newcomer’s women's Battle Board came on.
Immediately after.
The audience in near unison turned away from the waterway. As if lit up by a flash, the water surface poured out light.
One competitor fell overboard.
The others had their balance disrupted whilst in the midst of accelerating, and one lone figure dashed to the front.
As if expecting the situation — although it has to be said that she was the one who created the situation — wearing dark goggles, that lone figure was Honoka.
"Alright."
Looking up at Tatsuya, who gave a voice of affirmation, Azusa's face was full of amazement.
"......Was this Onii-sama's strategy?"
Miyuki's voice as she removed her sunglasses was also filled with wonder. (By the way the sunglasses the three of them wore had been issued beforehand. Miyuki and the others had been mystified as to their purpose, but put them on anyway.)
"To be sure, it's not prohibited by the rules but......"
Shizuku's voice had a hint of reproach in it.
One couldn't help feeling that this was rather against the spirit of fair play.
However the yellow flag which would indicate any significant unfair play remained unwaved, and the match continued. The red flag that signaled a player's disqualification for rules violations likewise remained unused.
It meant that the tournament committee deemed Honoka's magic, and Tatsuya's strategy, a legal move.
"......Performing optical magic on the water's surface, I didn't expect that at all."
Her personality straightforward at all times, Azusa muttered in admiration.
"Interfering with the water surface, whether to generate waves or vortexes, affects the consciousness and orientation of other competitors yet it is allowed since it complies with the rule that 'you may affect another competitor via magically targeting the water surface'. Doing something like freezing the water solid or boiling it would certainly be too dangerous, but I did find it strange that no one until now had used it to cause dizziness."
If one is suddenly blinded without any warning, it takes a while to restore vision.
Meandering slowly along the course, unable to sprint due to their obscured vision, the difference between Honoka and the other players was already decisive.
"......It's in the bag."
"......Who thought of this strategy?"
Mayumi who was watching through the monitor did not experience any discomfort as the monitor automatically adjusted the amount of light displayed, yet now while she was calmly assessing the originality of that tactic she remembered her initial surprise (although calm surprise is a bit of an oxymoron).
Following behind Mari's mutter and Mayumi's question, Suzune answered.
"It was Shiba-kun."
"Eh, but I thought Tatsuya-kun wasn't involved in this match?"
Hearing that answer, Mayumi tilted her head as if going 'huh?'
Suzune's reply was possibly a bit too polite.
"The one who submitted the plan in the first place was Mitsui-san. But the one who decided the Activation Sequence lineup and brushed up the finer details of the strategy was Shiba-kun, or so I'm told."
Suzune's deliberate mention of him 'deciding the Activation Sequence lineup' was because of the perception that doing so was the exception, not the rule.
"......it really is one thing after another with him, isn't it."
A touch of reproach could be heard in Mari's voice.
"What's the matter? You seem somewhat dissatisfied."
Mari didn't answer Mayumi's question.
However, her silence itself spoke volumes on what was on her mind,
"......Planning is very important. As the masters say."
From what Mayumi could tell, Mari was cranky at being shown a tactic she hadn't thought of. For Mari who prided herself on being a strategist, it decidedly wasn't very fun.
"It's a tactic no one has thought of for nine years, so this is the point where you should be nice and impressed."
".....I am impressed. That's why I'm so annoyed."
Being cut into by Suzune, reluctantly, Mari admitted her jealousy.
Mari was magnanimous enough to accept it, so Suzune let her off for now.
"Still, this is a one-off strategy isn't it? I wonder what he'll do for the finals?"
Mari didn't come up with a follow through, so Mayumi responded instead.
"No worries. There's no way that man hasn't thought that far ahead."
"That’s true. This is also just a strategic move for the next match."
Seems like it was a needless anxiety.
"Yeah......seems like I've done something bad to Honoka."
Watching Honoka take the lead from her earlier move, and maintain it all the way until the finish, Tatsuya muttered in a bitter voice. Next to him, Miyuki looked up at her brother's clouded face.
"......What's the matter?"
Their appearance was noticed by others, and Azusa spoke up to Tatsuya.
"Ah, nothing......"
His answer was evasive, or in other words an excuse.
Still, he didn't become silent.
"She could have won this race easily based on her speed alone......there was no need for the confusion."
"Well......even so, she did take the lead thanks to her initial dazzle, so couldn't you still call it a successful strategy?"
Azusa, not knowing the nature of Tatsuya's regret, tilted her head.
"When you stand out so much, it's going to mean you'll be marked by the other contestants......"
"The semis are a race between three people......it's a possibility that in the next match, the other two will pair up."
Miyuki complemented Tatsuya's words.
Finally, Azusa understood what they were worried about.
"Oh, is that what it was."
And laughed at their concerns.
"Something like that......I'm pretty sure it'd be a disadvantage right?"
At Miyuki's countering hesitance, Azusa merely shook her head happily.
"That won't happen, since we've been marked from the start."
"Haahh......"
She had said it so cheerfully that for a moment Tatsuya wondered if she was actually proud of that.
—Well, just for a moment.
However insensitive he was, he wasn't so far gone as to not realize she was just comforting them.
"I won! I won, Tatsuya-san!"
As soon as she rose from the waterway, Honoka immediately hurried over to where Tatsuya and the others were without even changing from her wetsuit, hopping all the way.
"Ah, yeah. We saw. Well done."
Aware of the other staff who had come down to greet their teammates, Tatsuya hastily put both hands out in front of him while congratulating her in an attempt to calm her down.
But it had the opposite effect.
"Thank you so much!"
Perhaps misunderstanding, Honoka clasped the hands Tatsuya held out and stared up at his face, tears of joy threatening to spill out from her eyes. Even Miyuki didn't expect her to show her emotions so straightforwardly.
While Tatsuya stood frozen from a lack of experience with such things, Honoka really did start to cry.
"Whenever it comes to competitions, I become so weak......I hardly ever win competitions in athletic meets or tournaments like these."
It was the first time he heard of this. If that were true, then maybe using the strategy in the Newcomer's division wasn't such a miscalculation after all.
But as Tatsuya stood helplessly looking left and right, behind Honoka the figure of Shizuku waving her hands flew into view.
From her appearance, it seemed she was saying 'that's not the case, not at all.'
With his hands still firmly grasped by Honoka, and establishing line of sight with Shizuku, she began to mouth words to him. Her lip movements read 'she's?talking?about?during?primary?school'.
(A story from their primary school days, huh......)
Tatsuya sighed whilst looking towards heaven.
She probably didn't intend to lie or anything......but her conviction was just a little too intense.
Despite the icicle glare Miyuki directed at him (that is to say icy cold, and very sharp), he still required some time to regain his composure.
Both in athletics and on the board, if one does not have the will then victory will be uncertain.
It's the same with magic competitions.
Looking at the success of one's teammates and thinking 'now it's my turn' is a system which raises the willpower of the team, and is like a magic bullet which boosts morale.
'Willpower' is linked with 'fighting spirit', but 'fighting spirit' also easily links to 'futility'.
Before the girls' eyes, such an event was occurring.
"Morisaki-kun was the runner-up, but......"
Mayumi's words were wrapped in disappointment.
"The other two missed the cut huh......"
Mari's words continued the disappointed trend.
At the close of the first day of the Newcomer's Division, in the meeting room, the 3rd Year executives stood before the results of the men's Speed Shooting rankings and let out a collective sigh.
"The results of the men's and women's are reversed......"
"I wouldn't say that. Third High took first and fourth place, so the girls still give us a positive balance.
You're being just a little too pessimistic."
Suzune's sober analysis countered Mayumi's gloomy remarks. It was all in an effort to dispel the stagnant mood.
"......Right. As Ichihara said, it's not good to be too negative. In the first place, the results of those girls are far more than we could have expected. We must be positive about the lead they have given us today.
"But the slump with the guys isn't just in 'quickdraw'. In 'surfing' as well, only one guy qualified compared to two girls."
At Mari's remarks, in a tone as if reminding herself, Katsuto agreed with a grim look. (By the way 'quickdraw' is a nickname for Speed Shooting, as 'surfing' is for Battle Board.)
"If their poor performance continues like this, even if we do well this year it's possible we'll be disadvantaged in the years to come."
"That losing would become a habit?"
"It is a possibility."
At Katsuto's point, both Mari and Mayumi bitterly fell silent.
Being leaders of a Magic High School, especially the executives of First High who prided themselves upon victory, they were unable to live with the easy thought 'we did good enough this year'.
"The mens' side may require some support."
"Still Juumonji, even if you say support what can we do at this late hour?"
Mari's rebuttal to Katsuto's murmur was bitter.
It was certainly a 'late hour'.
The Newcomer's Division had already begun. It wasn't possible to change the staff or competitors anymore.
Even when she glanced at him, Katsuto had no reply.
That atmosphere however, rather than being at a loss, gave the impression not of mere silence but that a plan was forming.
At last tomorrow, or rather 'today' already, was Miyuki's turn.
There had been no move from the organized crime related sabotage warned of by Kazama since the incident involving Mari, but Tatsuya couldn't put it out of his mind.
If his hypotheses were correct, the 'enemy' had tampered with the CADs just prior to the competition. It was a low possibility for more sabotage to be carried out overnight, but it never hurt to double check.
For the enemy's actions to be immediately undetectable by him, they held very high skill.
Finishing the final adjustments, he systematically tightly locked the CAD, then further added a triple lock before finally stopping work.
There isn't a trace of any other person.
Not just humans, but no other life signs could be detected at all.
In regards to the enemy, it would be expected that security here is much higher.
Kazama and his subordinates, the elites of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion were secretly helping behind the scenes, so even if there was an attempt, a direct attack was unlikely to succeed.
Without wandering around unnecessarily, he proceeded through the entrance of the hotel (of course, requiring bio-metric identification), and went straight to his room.
Before he entered, he noticed at the door.
His only roommates were non-breathing machines.
At this time of night, when he was confident the minute hand of the clock should be announcing a date change any time now, there shouldn't be any sign of life aside from him in the hallway — but he turned the key and walked inside regardless.
"Hey now, just what time do you think it is?"
Unlike usual, his slightly stern voice seized the initiative.
Unlike usual, his posture suggested this wasn't something that could be let off with a smile.
Unlike usual, the one on the receiving end of all this must have realized that as well.
Her shoulders trembling, Miyuki hastily got up off the bed she had been sitting on, and fearfully looked up at her brother.
"A lack of sleep will reduce your ability to concentrate. Even if it's you, where careless mistakes may not necessarily lead to defeat, that won't always be the case."
"I'm very sorry!"
Being scolded by Tatsuya in earnest, Miyuki bowed deeply in a voice verging on tears. Hearing his sister like this, seeing her like this, Tatsuya was simply unable to keep up his tough stance for any longer.
"......It's good you understand. Now come on, let's go back to your room. I'll escort you there."
Perhaps his voice was a little too forceful, as when Miyuki timidly looked up, she refused to look at her brother's face.
"Miyuki?"
"......Onii-sama, for a bit, just a bit, could I have a little of your time?"
"......Just a little."
A competition in obstinacy would be a waste of time.
Tatsuya knew from prior experience that his sister was rather passively aggressive in this way.
"I heard from Shizuku. Onii-sama, you turned down the honor of having your name added to the 'Index'."
"Not formally at least."
"Rather than formally or anything, you were prohibited weren't you?"
"Yeah."
At Tatsuya's brief affirmation, Miyuki, as if struggling with something, stood whilst biting her lip a while.
"......Was that, upon the orders of our Aunt?"
"Yeah."
Another brief affirmation.
Miyuki, once again teary eyed, looked down.
"The investigative powers of the Magic Universities are very high. The gossip sites masquerading as news sites of normal media organizations can't even begin to come close. They're almost comparable to military or intelligence agencies.
Developers of new magic in addition to being given access to the resources of the Universities are also granted various privileges, but their identity is also examined in detail. It's in order to root out national spies and terrorists. It's an investigation on a totally different level to high school admission. It's not unlikely they'll discover not only my identity as 'Silver', but 'Shiba Tatsuya's' identity as a Yotsuba which the Yotsuba themselves have been blocking so carefully."
Faced with his sister's tears, Tatsuya explained in a slightly cool voice.
It was not only because he had to be uncompromising in the face of her tears, but because he had to convince himself.
"......"
For a while, her head bowed, Miyuki said nothing.
Tatsuya felt relief at not hearing her sob anymore.
"To be sure, just entering the Nine Schools Competition carried some risk of my identity coming under scrutiny. However, leaving my name in the Magic Encyclopedia is far different from being in a high school competition. The 'Guardian' of the Yotsuba exists as a shadow. Do you think for such an outcast to be in the limelight would be acceptable to our Aunt?"
Miyuki kept silent. She didn't even mouth any words of comfort.
That was her answer to his question.
"For now, I still don't have enough power. In a head on situation, there is a possibility I could defeat the 'Queen of Night' Yotsuba Maya. My 'Decomposition' has good compatibility as a counter to her 'Night' after all.
But the me as of now, even if I could beat our Aunt, I can't do anything about the Yotsuba. Force of arms alone, the threat of violence alone is not enough. If I displace our Aunt, another worse manipulator would simply show up in her place. At this moment, I can only follow."
Those words weren't so much to convince his sister, as for himself.
As he tried to satisfy himself that way,
Miyuki, moving from the front,
embraced him.
Her face shining with tears buried itself into his chest.
Such an appearance might be better described as 'clinging', yet that was somehow inappropriate.
"......I'm on your side."
"Miyuki......"
"I will always no matter what, come what may, be on your side.
That time will definitely come. Without a doubt, it will come.
Until then, and forever after, I will always be on Onii-sama's side."
"......"
The hands of the clock accused them of far exceeding the realms of 'just a little'.
But let's go along with her 'just a little more'...... Tatsuya thought as he gently wrapped his arms around Miyuki's back.
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